Latch and lock.



D. W. TOWER.

LATCH AND LOCK.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 1, 1914.

1,1 21,954. Patented Dec. 2.2, 1914.

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(HE NORRIS PETERS co F'Hn'r 1.17110 WA HIr1G ION, D. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL W. TOWER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDSBRASS COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

LATCH AND LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Application filed June 1, 1914. Serial No. 842,214.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL W. TOWER, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, inthe county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Latches and Locks; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved construction in latches and lockstherefor, and more particularly to the same adapted to be used inconnection with swinging doors, and it is the object of this inventionto provide a latch automatically operated by closing the door, andadapted to force the door open when manually opened, and to provide thesame with various novel and useful features as will more fully appear onunderstanding being had of the disclosure of a preferred embodiment ofthe invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1is a front elevation of the latch applied to a door, a portion only ofthe door and easing therefor being shown; Fig. 2 is a side elevationwith parts broken away and in section to better disclose theconstruction; Fig. 3 is a side view of an element used in making thelock; Fig. 4 is a side view of the retaining member for the latch whichis secured to the door casing; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lockingplate, with associated parts in section; Fig. 6 is a view from beneaththe locking mechanism and the housing therefor, showing the parts inassembled position; and Figs. 7 and 8 show in plan, 1n two differentpositions, a movable disk ele ment forming a part of the lockingmechanism.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawing.

The latch, when in use, is applied to a swinging door adapted to closethe opening in a casing, a portion of the casing adjacent the latchbeing shown at 1, and that portion of the door to which the latch issecured being indicated at 2. In the construction of the latch, there isprovided a handle 3 integral with a cylindrical head 4,

which head is mounted for pivotal movement in an outwardly projectingboss 5 integral with the housing 6 attached to the door 2. An arm 7 isalso formed integral with the handle 3 and head 4 and extends from thehead in a direction diametrically opposite the handle but with the endthereof located closer to the door than is the handle. The head a isbored internally or may be cast in such manner that it is formed with acentral interior cylindrical space from the inner end thereof toadjacent the outer end, which end is partially closed having, however,an axial opening in which is j ournaled the outer end of pin 8 in theaxis of the said head, and being slotted at 9 for the reception andguidance of a key for operating the lock ng mechanism.

F ixedly attached to the inner end of the head at is a disk 10substantially circular in outline except at one side thereof, an armmoved into latching position. The arm 11 is bent inwardly and inclinedto the plane of the disk, forming in effect a cam surface for use ashereafter explained. In the side of the disk is a segmental recess,preferably extending about one fourth of the circum- 3 ference of thedisk and providing two shoulders 12 and 13, as illustrated.

A locking plate 14 in the housing 6 is pivoted near one end to swing inits plane, being close to the disk 10 and having at one edge thereof andnear the movable end, an outwardly turned stop 15 which in one positionof the locking plate is adapted to engage the shoulder 13, as shown inFig. 8, and stop any movement of the disk in the unlocking direction,but which may be moved so that the stop clears the disk entirely,permitting such movement; As a means of operating the locking plate, akey 16 may be inserted in the groove 9' of the pin 8 and through theopening 17 in the locking plate 14:, the pin 8 passing therethroughalso, and as the key is turned its edge will engage the flat sides ofthe opening in the plate, thus moving the plate back and forth betweenits locking and unlocking positions, the key in effect working as aneccentric with its center of rotation at, the axis of the pin 8, it, ofcourse, being obvious that the device cannot be locked except when thedisk 10 has been properly positioned for the admission of stop 15 intothe recess near the shoulder 13. To limit the pivotal movement of thedisk and handle 3, there is provided a pro jection 18 fixed withrelation to the housing 6 which projects into the recess of the disk 10and by engagement with the shoulders 12 and 13 limits this movement; andwith one shoulder 12 engaging the projection 18 and the stop 15 moved toengage the other shoulder 13, as indicated in Fig. 8, the disk will beheld against any movement whatever, thus locking the handle 3 and arm 7.

Located immediately behind the locking plate let is a triangular plate19 which is fastened to the housing 6, preferably by screws inserted inbosses in the housing, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The plate 19 hasthe members 20 cut and bent therefrom to form friction springs engagingand slidable on the locking plate to prevent accidental movement of thesame after once being moved to a desired position.

A keeper 21 for the latch is attached to the casing 1 and comprises aninclined retaining member 21, and a laterally extending lug 22 isprovided at one side of the keeper 21 and located in the path of the arm11. The arm 7 is adapted to engage the inner inclined surface of themember 21, so that as the handle 3 is turned to horizontal position, thedoor 2 will be forced to close contact with the casing. When the door isbeing closed, the arm 11 will engage the lug 22 and sliding on the sameWill automatically move the handle and arm 7, thus engaging the latterwith the keeper member 21. And on returning the handle 3 to verticalposition the arm 11 will slide over the lug 22, thus starting theopening of the door should it tend to stick, as may be the case withtightly fitting doors used with refrigerators or similar structures. 7

From the foregoing the operating of the device will be clear. The handle3 has movement from near the vertical position shown, until it issubstantially horizontal, the arm 7 engaging the member 21 and tightlyclosing the door 2. When the door is closing, the arm 11 engages the lug22 and automatically closes the latch. hen in this position, the key 16may be inserted and the stop 15 moved into the recess of the disk 10 andin the path of the shoulder 13, the projection 18 engaging the othershoulder 12; the parts are thus locked against move ment. The unlockingof the latch is easily accomplished by the same key by moving the stopout of the recess, whereupon the handle 3 may be turned to verticalposition and the door partially opened as described, after which thedoor may be swung open as far as desired.

I have also shown a spring 23 attached at one end to a finger 2iprojecting from the disk 10. When the handle is in vertical position,the direction of the pull of the spring is substantially through thecenter of rotation of the disk, there being little or no tendency forthe disk to more under the influence of the spring. As the handle 3 ismoved to horizontal position the spring force increases, thusautomatically impelling the handle to a latching position and forcingthe door closely against the casing. The spring thus aids in tightlyclosing the door but need not be used if not desired, as the device willoperate quite well without.

The disclosure made is a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it isto be understood that the invention, defined in the appended claims, iscomprehensive of all modifications of structure falling within theirscope.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a device of the character described, a housingadapted to be attached to a door,

- a handle pivoted in the housing, an arm extending opposite the handle,a keeper to be attached to a casing adjacent the door and adapted toreceive the arm, locking mechanism within the housing to lock the armand handle in fixed relation to the door and keeper and a removable keyin the pivot of the handle adapted to operate the looking mechanism.

2. In a device of the character described, a housing adapted to bemounted on a door, a handle pivoted in the housing, means for limitingthe movement of the handle to a predetermined arc, an arm extendingoppositely to the handle, a keeper for said arm adapted to be attachedto a door casing, a lock located within the housing for locking thehandle and arm in fixed relation to the door when at one extreme oftheir move ment and with said arm engaged with the keeper and aremovable key in the pivot of the handle adapted to operate the lockingmechanism.

3. In a device of the character described, a housing adapted to beattached to a door, a handle having at one end a cylindrical headrotative in the housing, a disk attached to the head and having a recessin the edge thereof, a projection in fixed relation to the housing andprojecting into the said recess, an arm extending from the headoppositely to the handle, and a keeper adapted to be secured to a casingand engaged by the arm.

4:. In a device of the character described, in combination with a doorand a casing, a housing secured to the door, a handle having acylindrical head pivoted within a boss in the housing, an arm extendingoppositely from the handle and movable with the same, a keeper having aninclined surface to engage the arm, means for locking the handle and armwhen the arm is engaged with the said surface of the keeper and aremovable key inserted in the axis of the head to operate the lockingmechanism.

5. In a device of the character described, a handle, a housing, atubular head integral with the handle and rotative in the housing, anarm extending from the head oppositely to the handle, a disk within thehousing and secured to the head, an arm extending from the disk throughthe housing, said arm being inclined to the plane of the disk, and afixed lug engaged by the arm.

6. In a device of the character described, a door and easing therefor, ahousing attached to the door, a keeper secured to the casing, acylindrical head pivoted in the housing, a handle and arm oppositelyextending from the head and integral therewith, a disk within thehousing and secured to the head, means for locking the disk, an arm onthe disk inclined to the plane of the disk and extending through theside of the housing, a lug projecting from the keeper into the path ofmovement of said arm and a key in the axis of the head to operate thelocking means.

7. In a device of the character described, a housing adapted to besecured to a door, a head rotative in the housing and having a handleextending from and integral therewith, an arm projecting from the head,a keeper engaged by the arm, a disk fixed on the head, means forlimiting the rotative movement of the disk, a spring attached to thedisk and to the housing, said spring extending across the center of thedisk at one limit of the movement of the disk and moving to a distanceat one side thereof at the other limit of said movement.

8. In a device of the character described, in combination with a doorand a casing, a handle having a head pivotally mounted on the door, akeeper secured to the casing, an arm integral with the handle andadapted to engage the keeper, a disk fixed on the handle, means forlocking the disk, a lug projecting from the keeper, and an arm on thedisk to engage said lug for moving the door toward the casing.

9. In a device of the class described, a housing adapted to be attachedto a door, a handle having a head rotative in the housing, an armprojecting from the head to engage a keeper to hold the door closed,means for locking the head, a key pin rotative in the axis of the head,and a key adapted to be inserted in the pin to operate the lockingmeans.

10. In combination with a door and a casing, a handle pivotally mountedon the door, an arm projecting from the handle, a keeper on the casinghaving an inclined surface engaged by the arm, a second arm moving withthe handle and having a surface inclined to the plane of its movement,and

a fixed lug on the-casing engaged by said surface to automatically turnthe first named arm into engagement with the keeper.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL W. TOWER.

Witnesses:

PALMER A. JONES, MAE RANKIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

